Accordion Scrapbook Tutorial

Accordion scrapbooks are a quick and custom gift to make for any occasion. Who doesn’t love a little brag book full of pictures? These accordion scrapbooks are the perfect little way to showcase a new baby or an event. Since they are smaller and all you add is pictures it isn’t overwhelming.

I got about 15 requests on how to make the little accordion scrapbooks I made for the Elmers Craft & Tell Party last weekend. I thought everyone in the free world knew how to make these. But since a few of you don’t I figured I would repost this tutorial from 2007 with some updated pictures (wow I thought I was a bad photographer now…dang 2007 was a bad year for my photography skills!).

Supplies:

2 sheets of decorative paper

Foamcore

Ribbon

3 pieces of cardstock

Glue stick or double-sides adhesive

Paper Cutter

Scissors

Utility Knife

Straight Edge

Ruler

1. Cut the decorative paper into a 6 ¾” x 6 ¾” square. I use a guillotine style paper cutter.

Using the same paper cutter cut the cardstock to 8 1/2” x 8 1/2” squares.

2. Using an Exacto knife and a straight edge (I use a quilter’s ruler) cut your foamcore down to 4 ¾” x 4 ¾”.

You should have all the supplies cut to size now looking like this…

3. Now you will begin folding your cardstock. You will double fold everything – meaning that you will fold once and then fold on the same fold in the opposite direction (back) making the paper very flexible.

Fold the paper in half and the double fold it.

Now fold the paper in half the other direction and double fold that.

Lastly fold the paper diagonally and double fold that.

You will do this to all three sheets of cardstock.

Note: You only fold one diagonal not two.

4. Apply glue stick (or double sided scrapbook adhesive) to the top and bottom square. This will be the middle piece of cardstock.

5. After glue is applied lay the other pieces of cardstock (the top piece and bottom piece) on top of the piece you just applied the glue to. It should look like this.

Fold it accordion style. Ya don’t know what that means? Well I made a little video to help you.

7. Place the cardstock aside and grab a sheet of the decorative paper and one of the foamcore. Lay the decorative paper face down and put the foamcore on top. Apply double sided adhesive to the left and right of the foam core and glue the paper on. It should look like this.

8. Now fold the corners. You don’t want to fold them down completely but have enough room to fold it over. There should be enough of a space to put the scissors between the fold and the foamcore.

Fold those over and glue them.

9 Do the other foamcore the same way. Now we are ready to assemble the book. Cut a piece of ribbon to match about two feet long. Find the middle of the piece of ribbon and glue it in the middle of the paper-covered foamcore. Make sure if you are using paper that has a directional print that you have the foamcore facing the correct way. Glue ribbon in place.

10. Now take the cardstock glue in place. I apply double-sided adhesive to the cardstock and not the foamcore. Make sure when you lay the cardstock down in place that your book is again the correct way (if you used a directional print paper). Also make sure you place the cardstock down where the opening is facing the lower right hand corner like this…

11. Glue the top of the cardstock. “Eyeballing it” lay the top foamcore on the cardstock. Tie ribbon and you are done.

Thank you for this tutorial. I was endlessly searching the internet for an easy tutorial on accordion scrapbooks and finally landed on yours, which, by the way, is very detailed with perfect pictures that make this seem like an easy project. All the other tutorials I found made it seem confusing and hard to do- so thank you!!

I saw your segment on My.INDY and recorded it so I could show my friends. I tried to show my Facebook friends your link to the project but it didn’t transition well. Anyway, My friend and I made two of these amazing accordion albums today. Whew! Took us 2 1/2 hours but it was fun though they were pretty rough faximilies. I am hoping to use this as a Thanksgiving Craft with my In-Laws and their kids (ages 8 and 11). I plan on taking pictures of our Thanksgiving Day activities with my digital camera, downloading them to Walgreens for picking up on Friday morning and assembling them before company heads out the door.
** Also we made the same project but in mini form 3X3, it is so amazingly cute!
We are also going to try using thick cardboard and material for a more formal version sometime in the near future. Gotta work out gluing issues with that.
Happy Holidays and Thanks for the wonderful idea.

A few years ago I made one of these for a friend who lives in another state. She and I make each other something for Christmas each year (35 yrs. now!) From time to time she sends me photos of her grandchildren. I used those photos, cutting them up, to place them in each “triangle”. She LOVED it. It’s her personal brag book

Love these!! Made 2 last night when I was up stewing about something and couldn’t sleep. They were great at getting my mind off of what was bothering me and I was able to go to sleep after they were done (of course, it was 2:40AM, so maybe that was it! LOL!!).

Love them and plan on making one for my niece’s wedding, one for Father’s day coming up, and I think a “manly” one for the hubby to keep at work. Got to look at something other than ribbon to keep it closed for him.

Thank you so much for the tutorial. I had made one of these back in 2003 and it was just sent back to me when my grandmother passed away recently. My mom now wants to make one and I had no instructions on how to do this, let alone where I even got the idea to begin with. You did a great job with your instructions. Thanks again.

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[…] time to do some of the crafts I had pinned on Pinterest!Â I had loved the Accordion Scrapbook from Infarrantly Creative for a while and wanted to try it.Â I had everything except the foam core board… so while […]